Verizon Activates 5G Service in Chicago and Minneapolis

Verizon (VZ – Get Report) announced Wednesday it activated its 5G service in two major markets.

The telecommunications giant will enable the 5G wireless service in Chicago and Minneapolis. The service will be compatible with the next slate of up-to-date connected devices.

Verizon’s “5G Ultra Wideband Network” will be the first commercial 5G network to ever work with a 5G smartphone, according to a press release from the company.

Customers in Chicago and Minneapolis also will be the first to have their 5G-enabled smartphones connected to a 5G network . These customers will enjoy a speed of 1 gigabit per second. The service is effective immediately though 5G-enabled phones have yet to hit the market.

“This is the latest in our string of 5G firsts,” said Verizon Chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg. “Verizon launched the first commercial broadband 5G service last October, Verizon 5G Home, and now we’re lighting up our 5G Ultra Wideband network in Chicago and Minneapolis, providing the world’s first commercial 5G mobile service with a 5G-enabled smartphone.”

Chicago, Minneapolis 1st Cities In World To Get Verizon’s 5G

Verizon has begun its rollout of 5G cell service in downtown Chicago.

CHICAGO — Customers in Chicago and Minneapolis are the first in the world to get 5G-enabled smartphones connected to a 5G network, Verizon announced Wednesday, the first day of its rollout.

The new 5G network is concentrated in the Gold Coast, Old Town, River North, West Loop and South Loop neighborhoods. 5G coverage is also available around landmarks such as Union Station, Willis Tower, The Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park and The Chicago Theatre.

Verizon to launch mobile 5G service in Chicago and Minneapolis

5G coming on April 11 on the Motorola z3 handset

Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband Network is set to light up parts of Chicago and Minneapolis on April 11. Beginning March 14 customers can pre-order Motorola’s clip-on 5G mod for the moto z3 handset and the carrier, perhaps most significantly, has detailed pricing for the next-generation service.

According to the carrier, postpaid subscribers with an unlimited plan–Go Unlimited, Beyond Unlimited or Above Unlimited, can get unlimited 5G for a $10 per month up-charge with fees waived for the first three months.

Last year Verizon activated its 5G Home fixed wireless broadband service in four markets. Those deployments were based on the company’s Verizon Technical Forum standard rather than the 3GPP’s 5G NR standard. The mobile service, and all other future 5G services, will be based on 5G NR, Verizon said.

Verizon Chief Technology Officer Kyle Malady said in a statement noted the relationship between 5G and LTE, which the company continues to enhance with 4X4 MIMO, 256 QAM, multi-channel carrier aggregation and Licensed Assisted Access.

“Not all 5G networks are the same,” Malady said. “Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network is built by the company with the nation’s best and most reliable 4G LTE network. It will change the way we live, work, learn and play.”

Beyond the two launch cities, Verizon has articulated plans to offer mobile 5G in 30 cities in the first half of the year using its millimeter wave spectrum holdings. Speaking last month at an investor event, CEO Hans Vestberg said the company is committed “to be on the leading edge of technology to provide customers with the best network experiences in the world, to deliver growth in revenue and profitability, to expand our 5G leadership, to sustain value to shareholders, and to enable services that benefit society and make the world a better place.”

Following on the moto z3 with the 5G mod, Verizon also plans to offer Samsung’s Galaxy S10 5G device and LG’s V50 ThinQ, both of which were unveiled last month ahead of Mobile World Congress Barcelona.